So Close
by xxTwistedxDreamsxx
Summary: When Laurie comes home for the weekend, he spends time with his best friend, Jo. But, after a picnic, will he be remembering new experiences when he goes back to college soon? One-shot. Please read and review!


_**Author's Note:**__** I've wanted to post this story for some time now and finally did! This story is in AU and it happens a few months before Meg and John's wedding. I hope you'll like it!**_

_**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Little Women for Louisa May Alcott owns this wonderful piece of literature, who might be cursing in her grave right now because of me still shipping Jo and Laurie.**_

_**I**_t was just six o' clock in the evening and yet the skies were already dark and the sun was nowhere to be seen. Remnants of the last sunset were still evident, though. Vibrant streaks of red, yellow, orange and even purple were cutting across the vast blue sea of sky. Silhouettes of birds flying overhead could be seen, along with the bright crescent-shaped moon and the diamond-like stars.

During nights like this, Jo March always loved to take a stroll and marvel the beauty of nature. She approached the mail post Laurie had given almost three years ago, wondering if there was something inside. To her delight, there _was _something. She took the piece of parchment and unfolded it. It said:

_Jo,_

_I honestly hope that you get this letter personally. Let's have a picnic at our favourite hill, just the two of us. I'll bring the food. Meet me outside at four o' clock in the afternoon tomorrow. Please come._

_Teddy_

Jo looked as if she was going to shout for joy but she also couldn't help but feel confuse as to why Laurie didn't want Meg, Beth and Amy to come along. She carefully placed the letter inside her pocket and walked back inside the house.

She sat beside Beth and began to knit quietly.

"You look funny, Jo. Is something wrong?" Amy asked, staring intensely at her.

"I do not! I look perfectly fine, Amy. In fact, I _feel _fine," said Jo, trying to sound as normal as she could.

"But you don't! It's like you're hiding something," Amy insisted stubbornly.

"I'm not hiding anything and if I were, it wouldn't be any of your business," answered Jo sternly.

Amy looked angrily at her elder sister. But before she could open her mouth to say something more, Meg said, "If Jo says she is not hiding anything, then that is good enough for me. Learn to trust your sister, Amy. And Jo, try to keep your temper down," obviously annoyed with her sisters' quarrel. She still couldn't believe that Jo and Amy still continued their petty fights.

* * *

The next day, Jo asked Meg to help her make a blancmange for her picnic with Laurie later that afternoon. Even if Laurie told her that he would bring the food, she might as well bring something. Unfortunately, it was quite hard to persuade Meg into doing so without her knowing the truth.

I'm sorry, Jo but I need to know why you need the blancmange," Meg said.

"I told you, Meg, that I'm going to take it to Aunt March later," Jo cried as she had already been saying it for the millionth time that day.

"Since when is Aunt March even interested in blancmange?" Meg asked.

"Since she's tasted it," said Jo, wryly, her voice very convincing enough for Meg to believe it.

* * *

When the clock struck at four o' clock, Jo snuck out of the house with the sweet treat freshly prepared by Meg almost half an hour ago.

"Do you really think she's going to Aunt March?" Amy asked, busily painting in a corner.

"Well, all I know is that Aunt March never liked blancmange. I'm not even sure if she had actually tasted one," said Meg, who busied herself by sewing.

"But I know who does," Beth whispered softly to herself, a gentle smile curving her lips as she watched Jo meeting up with Laurie out at the window.

"Why do you want the picnic to be only for the two of us, Teddy?" Jo asked as they climbed up the hill, boyishly swaying her arms to and fro.

"Don't you want to be with me?" Laurie pouted, hurt written all over his face but Jo knew very well that he was just faking it.

"Of course I do! I'm just curious why."

Laurie laid the picnic blanket down on the emerald green grass when they reached the very top of the hill. Jo placed the basket down. After that, they sat.

"Even if you said you'd bring the food, I took the liberty to bring –," Jo said, "– blancmange!"

"That's great! I thought you have already forgotten that it's my favourite," Laurie said, getting a slice of the blancmange.

"How could I forget my boy's favourites?" Jo cried, taking up an apple from Laurie's basket.

The view from the hilltop was beautiful, indeed. The wind was cool and refreshing. Butterflies were fluttering about. Jo gingerly picked a dandelion and blew it, letting the florets dance away with the wind as Laurie stared at her with glee.

"What?" Jo asked.

"Nothing, I just really missed you at college," Laurie answered.

"Well, I really missed you too. It's actually no fun without you around here. Meg's always busy with the preparations of her wedding. Amy keeps on painting and what-not. Beth, oh bless that girl, is the only one who I could talk to," Jo told him in a bored manner.

"Sometimes I wish time would just go faster so I could finish my studies as soon as possible. But sometimes, I also want it to slow down, whenever I'm with you," Laurie pressed his back against the ground, observing the blue sky.

"I do wish that too, quite often. However, time won't go fast or would slow down whether we like it or not. Time has a way of its own and we just can't bother the way things are." Jo squeezed Laurie's hand comfortingly. She then imitated him and lay down, staring up above.

"You know, Jo, I've been thinking; what if I go back here at Plumfield only to find out that everything had changed?" asked Laurie, his voice solemn and worried.

"If that would ever happen, I assure you that there would still be someone waiting and who would never change," declared Jo.

Laurie's brows furrowed with amusement and curiosity, and then he said, "Who would that be?"

"Me." Jo's face glowed with pride.

"Thank you."

Minutes passed with Jo and Laurie guessing the patterns of the clouds. And then, all of a sudden, droplets of water began falling down from the sky. The two just ignored this and continued their business. Though, they should not have done so, for heavier and more raindrops fell. Soon, it was already raining lightly. Jo and Laurie quickly picked up their things and head for cover under a huge tree.

Just then, Jo ran away from where they stood and started to dance around.

"Jo! What are you doing? You'll get wet," Laurie cried.

"Oh come on Teddy! It's very enjoyable and besides, I've always wanted to dance in the rain," Jo said.

Laurie decided not to argue with Jo and join her instead. He ran to her, took his hand out and said, "Miss Josephine March, may I have this dance?" in the most formal way possible.

"Well, I'd be delighted," Jo answered in a way that it opposes to how Laurie asked her.

They danced happily, hopping everywhere as the rain fell down upon them.

"This is fun, isn't it?" Jo asked, her voice ringing with happiness from above the noise.

"Oh it sure is!" cried Laurie, putting his damp hair away from his eyes.

Laurie placed his hands on Jo's waist and spun her round and round. Jo, on the other hand, opened her arms wide as she laughed loudly. They soon stopped when they felt dizzy.

Laurie cupped Jo's face with his hands. His breath was taken away by her beauty, even though she was soaked with water. Then, Laurie asked Jo something she never expected him to ask:

"May I kiss you?"

"Why would you want to do that?"

"Because I want to be the first boy you'll ever have the displeasure of kissing."

"And what makes you think that I want you to be my first kiss?"

"Well, I _am _your best friend. Who better to kiss you first than me?"

With these words, Laurie was able to convince Jo. He leaned towards her, raising her chin. She closed her eyes as Laurie did with his. They were only an inch away from each other now. They were so close but then –

"Jo? Laurie? I knew you were here!" Amy shouted, ruining the perfect moment.

"AMY!!!!" Jo and Laurie cried, completely annoyed.

"Couldn't you have thought of a better timing?" Jo added, her face flaring with anger.

"I'm sorry but Marmee is looking for you!" Amy said.

What Jo said to Amy after the next few minutes, Laurie never knew for he was too busy thinking that even if their first kiss was ruined all thanks to Amy, he still felt happy and contented for he knew that Jo wanted to kiss him too.

**Author's Note: Thanks so much for reading and golly I'd sure hope you'll review!**


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